“God grants His grace to those who possess the humility that comes from much labour,” Patriarch Daniel said on Sunday at the St George Chapel of the Patriarchal Residence, where he explained the Gospel account of the first Miraculous Catch of Fish.
The Patriarch of Romania noted that the Saviour Jesus Christ did not perform the miracle for idle fishermen.
“The miracle was performed for hardworking fishermen who had laboured throughout the night but, because they had caught nothing, were greatly humbled. Only when He found them exhausted after much labour and humbled after a great failure did Christ our God grant them His help, which works miracles,” Patriarch Daniel emphasised.
“Grace is near to humility”
In this context, His Beatitude quoted St Isaac the Syrian, who said: “Until a man is humbled, he receives no reward for his work; the reward is given not for the work, but for humility. Thus, the reward is given neither for virtue nor for the labour undertaken for its sake, but for the humility born of them. Grace is near to humility.”
“Therefore, today’s Gospel teaches us that God knows both a person’s efforts and his limitations or weaknesses, but He teaches us to ask for His help, to work together with Him and to rejoice in His merciful love with humility and gratitude. This Sunday’s Gospel helps us understand that we always need God’s help,” the Patriarch of Romania explained.
His Beatitude emphasised that we should ask for God’s help not only when we feel unprepared, but also when we are well prepared.
“God greatly loves every humble person who asks for His help, works in loving communion with Him, and strives to be hardworking and generous, because all of life is God’s gift to humanity and should be lived as self-giving to God and to others, as humble, generous love,” Patriarch Daniel added.
Never despair
God will work in our lives after we fulfil His commandments and ask for His help, the Patriarch of Romania reiterated. At the same time, he emphasised that when our prayers are not answered as we wish, this should not become a reason for despair.
“We learn that after the faithful person listens to the Gospel of Christ and fulfils His commandments, the holy work of Christ is also revealed in his life. Only in a state of humble obedience and fulfilment of Christ’s commandments can a person experience the holiness of God, which contrasts with human sinfulness,” His Beatitude explained.
“Let us pray to the most merciful God that we may experience His power when we ask for His help, and that we may never despair, even if our desire is not fulfilled when we want it and in the way we want it.”
“Let us learn that God’s wisdom is above our individual opinion or understanding, that His power is greater than our intellectual and physical powers. And the grace of His love and His holiness are a source of surprising, wonderful and sanctifying works, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity and for the salvation of humanity,” Patriarch Daniel concluded.
